Aster plant named ‘Yohenry the Third’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aster  plant named ‘Yohenry the Third’, characterized by its uniform, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform and freely flowering habit; natural flowering season mid-September in the northern hemisphere; decorative-type inflorescences with violet blue-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Aster hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yohenry the Third’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant, botanically known as Aster hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yohenry the Third’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Aster cultivars with uniform and rounded plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable and unique floret colors, and good garden performance.

The new Aster originated from an open-pollination in August, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of the Aster hybrida cultivar Victoria Fanny, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,360, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown Aster hybrida seedling selection, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment Alva, Fla. in October, 2004. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, vigor and desirable ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in December, 2004. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yohenry the Third have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yohenry the Third’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yohenry the Third’ as a new and distinct potted Aster cultivar:

-   -   1. Uniform, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Natural flowering season mid-September in the northern         hemisphere.     -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with violet blue-colored ray         florets.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Aster differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Victoria Fanny, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster are smaller and more mounding than         plants of the cultivar Victoria Fanny.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster flower about three days later than         plants of the cultivar Victoria Fanny when grown under natural         season conditions.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivar Dark Milka, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,932. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differed from plants of the cultivar Dark Milka in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were shorter than plants of the         cultivar Dark Milka.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster were fuller and more rounded than         plants of the cultivar Dark Milka.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivar Barbados, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differed from plants of the cultivar Barbados in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were smaller and more mounding than         plants of the cultivar Barbados.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster flowered slightly later than plants         of the cultivar Barbados when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Barbados differed in         inflorescence form as plants of the cultivar Barbados have         daisy-type inflorescences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aster. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Aster.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yohenry the Third’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yohenry the Third’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in Pendleton, S.C. in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Aster production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 32° C. and night temperatures averaged 21° C. Rooted cuttings were planted in 20 cm-containers, exposed to natural season conditions. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Aster hybrida cultivar Yohenry the Third. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Aster hybrida cultivar Victoria             Fanny, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,360.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown Aster hybrida seedling             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at temperatures of             about 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 16 to 18 days at             temperatures of about 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type potted Aster. Upright             with lateral branches somewhat outwardly spreading; inverted             triangle with uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely             branching growth habit with about ten to twelve primary             lateral branches each with numerous secondary and tertiary             branches; dense and full plants. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 22.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 43 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 148B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 6 mm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Clasping.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 147A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to             147A; venation, 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:             Close to 147B; venation, 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above and beyond the foliage. Disk and ray florets             arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescence slightly             fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences last about five weeks on the             plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 28             inflorescences develop per lateral stem.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 90B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 2.7 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm. Diameter of disc: About 2.5 mm; inconspicuous.             Receptacle height: About 1.1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About             1.2 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:             Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Base: Acute to attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous,             satiny. Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from             vertical or perpendicular to peduncle; apices reflexing with             development. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             248 arranged in about 14 whorls. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 90A. When opening, lower surface: Close to             92A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 90B. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 92C.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About 2 mm.             Width: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About ten to twelve. Color, immature and             mature: Close to 146A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 88             arranged in about ten to twelve whorls. Length: About 8 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Truncate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 4.2 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 6.2 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About             2 mm. Angle: Upright to about 30° to 45° from vertical.             Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About             4.5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to             147C. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 147D.             Ovary color: Close to 157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Asters has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to be     rain and wind tolerant and tolerate temperatures from 2° C. to about     38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘Yohenry the Third’ as illustrated and described. 